


Sleep Tight

by fogcrawler



Series: It Takes a Village [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Dogs, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, parenting, sorry it's so bad it's my first attempt at this okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-11 22:59:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7074106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fogcrawler/pseuds/fogcrawler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shaun is afraid of radstorms and can't sleep. His mother, Jess, and his stepdad, Preston, come up with a solution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleep Tight

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short, cliché first attempt at writing fanfiction. I plan to write more featuring this Sole Survivor. Thanks for reading it, and sorry it's so awful.

“Mom?”

Jess blinked the sleep from her eyes and leaned over to turn on the lamp on her bedside table. “What is it, Shaun?”

“It’s storming outside and I’m scared.”

She didn’t blame the kid. As far as he could remember, he had lived his whole life underground. After leaving the Institute, he stayed with the Railroad while Jess got things in order for his arrival at the Starlight Drive-In. This was his first night sleeping above ground. He had never really experienced a thunderstorm, let alone one of the glowing-green radstorms that still kind of spooked even Jess herself. Before she could respond, Preston turned over and mumbled, “What’s going on, babe?”

“It’s radstorming outside and it’s got Shaun a little nervous.”

He turned to Shaun. “What would make you feel better?”

Shaun looked around for a few seconds, considering the question, before replying with a quiet, “I just don’t wanna be by myself.”

Jess and Preston looked at each other, and silently came to the conclusion that he was a little too old to sleep in his mom and stepdad’s room. Jess hummed thoughtfully. After a moment, Preston’s eyes lit up. “I think I have just the thing.”

He got out of bed, and Jess followed. Jess and Shaun followed him downstairs, where he opened the back door and whistled. Seconds later, Dogmeat trotted in off the back porch and shook the rain out of his fur. He had been sleeping in his doghouse, but there were a couple of tiny holes in the roof that Jess hadn’t gotten around to patching up yet. She grabbed a dishrag and dried him off as best she could. She stood again and dusted her hands off. Preston scratched behind his ears, and Shaun turned and asked his mother, “Do you think he should have a RadAway?”

“Well, I guess it can’t hurt,” she replied, “but he doesn’t like to take medicine.”

“We could give it to him with a treat.”

“That’s a good idea, Shaun.” She patted him on the shoulder and went to rummage through a kitchen cabinet, emerging moments later with a box of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes. Shaun raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t those bad for him?”

“One won’t hurt. He likes them,” she said, removing a small cake and stuffing the RadAway tablet into it. “Do you want to give it to him?”

“Sure,” Shaun replied. She handed him the cake and he held it out to the dog. Dogmeat ate the whole thing, tablet and all, in one bite, and licked Shaun’s palm. He laughed. “That tickles!” Dogmeat replied by smiling up at the boy, his tongue lolling out.

“So,” Preston asked, “will you feel safer if Dogmeat spends the night in your room?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Well, alright. Let’s go get you guys tucked in.”

The four of them made their way back upstairs, Dogmeat running ahead and waiting by Shaun’s bedroom door, wagging his tail. Preston opened the door and turned on the light, and Dogmeat and Shaun went inside. Shaun got under the bedcovers, and Dogmeat leapt up onto the bed and curled up at Shaun’s feet. Jess sat down on the edge of the bed. “Is that better?”

“Yeah. Thanks, guys.”

“You’re welcome, kiddo,” Preston replied from the doorway where he was standing, grinning ear to ear. “Sweetie,” Jess said, “if you need anything else, let us know, alright?”

“Alright, mom. Thanks again.”

“It’s no problem, Shaun. Goodnight. Love you.”

“I love you guys too,”

With that, Shaun and Dogmeat snuggled in, and Preston and Jess turned off the light and went back to their own bed. Preston was still smiling widely as they lay down, turning off their lamp and climbing under the covers.

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Jess prodded, jokingly.

“Oh, nothing, just making my two favorite people in the world happy. That’s all.”

“Oh yeah?” She replied, with a devious grin. “And what if I’m not happy yet, huh?”

He pulled her in for a slow, sweet kiss. When they finally came up for air, she smiled up at him. “Now, that’s more like it.”

“I thought so,” Preston laughed. “Goodnight, babe.”

“Goodnight,” she whispered before falling asleep in his arms, comfortable and peaceful for the first time in a long time.


End file.
